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Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

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121–130 of 513 posts

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#121
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we have AGI then I doubt that the rich people will be able to control it at all

We already have billions of AGIs running all over the planet. The wealthy seem to do a pretty good job of keeping them all in line. I don't see any reason that would change in the future. If you want something the wealthy can't control, you'll need to look a good deal further afield than AGI. Think gamma ray bursts, asteroid strikes, or solar flares. But anything built by man, they'll have a pretty good grip on.

What if the wealthy people of the future were all robots?

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#122
post #49
post #19

I enjoyed this bit - great use of the word "idolatry": ---- 104. Technology offers remarkable tools to oversee and develop the world's resources. However, in some cases, humanity is increasingly ceding control of these resources to machines. Within some circles of scientists and futurists, there is optimism about the potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical form of AI that would match or sur…

This just give me an idea for a Scifi short story, where a industrial society worships a just and fair god, that is nothing more than a lost AI driven probe, from a more advanced civilization a few parsec away...

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Landru_(machine)

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we have AGI then I doubt that the rich people will be able to control it at all

What will prevent them from literally unplugging it from the wall?

could you personally unplug chat gpt today?

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#124
post #48

I liked the simple observation in point 35: 'as Pope Francis observes, “the very use of the word ‘intelligence’” in connection with AI “can prove misleading”[69] and risks overlooking what is most precious in the human person.' I was texting my buddy that the proper acronym could be ABNECUI (Almost, But Not Entirely, Completely Unlike Intelligence, to rip something from Douglas Adams). At a more profound level, I rea…

[flagged]

Papal infallibility is not invoked that often. Here’s an example, in section 4 (wherefore…) [0]

In particular papal infallibility was not involved in the Protestants’ complaints, and the response to their complaints (Trent) was a council and again has nothing to do with papal infallibility.

The pope was also an absolute monarch at the time, but protestants didn’t care about that aspect.

0: https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters...

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it is often a substitute for actually improving one's situation or fighting for a better world. You just defined idolatry and why it is harmful. Idolatry is the worship of man-made things or other things that do not deserve worship. Including worshipping the government, which is the religion of most people. It is a false path.

Idolatry, as used by christians, naturally excludes their God from its definition. To me who doesn't believe in their God, there isn't much difference in finding solace in the christian God or in the coming of AGI. This is why I don't think Singularitarianism is bad because it is christian idolatry , but because it is a religious belief.

Can you read the mind of other people and know that the idea of God that they worship is the same as the idea of God that you're rejecting?

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#126
post #19

I enjoyed this bit - great use of the word "idolatry": ---- 104. Technology offers remarkable tools to oversee and develop the world's resources. However, in some cases, humanity is increasingly ceding control of these resources to machines. Within some circles of scientists and futurists, there is optimism about the potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical form of AI that would match or sur…

> However, it is not AI that is ultimately deified and worshipped, but humanity itself---which, in this way, becomes enslaved to its own work.

Doesn't that describe all religion? I mean, you're telling me that the infinite creator of the universe cares about the prayers, the suffering, the aspirations, and the sexual habits of a bunch of finite beings? The hubris! It seems obvious to me that the gods of all religions are designed by human minds to be receptive to human interests, otherwise nobody would bother worshipping them. In other words, we have always been worshipping ourselves. At least there is reason to think that AI could, at least in theory, be what we expect God to be.

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> search of meaning or fulfillment---longings that can only be truly satisfied in communion with God This always annoyed me about religion. Such a lazy cop out no answer to such important question.

> This always annoyed me about religion. Such a lazy cop out no answer to such important question. Religion, or at least Catholicism, recognizes four things that humans look to for happiness: wealth, honour, glory/fame/power, and pleasure. * https://www.newadvent.org/summa/2002.htm It concludes that these things can be good, they are not the highest good. The thing that will make humans most happy is love: love for o…

right but the "only in communion with God" part seems less supported than the general need for love in a community/ fulfillment. You have to do some leaps to get a universal loving god.

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#128
post #19

I enjoyed this bit - great use of the word "idolatry": ---- 104. Technology offers remarkable tools to oversee and develop the world's resources. However, in some cases, humanity is increasingly ceding control of these resources to machines. Within some circles of scientists and futurists, there is optimism about the potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical form of AI that would match or sur…

While I agree with the thrust against deification and idolatry - these characterizations border on naive and myopic:

"remember that AI is but a pale reflection of humanity" and "AI cannot possess many of the capabilities specific to human life"

We just don't know yet. The philosophical and spiritual questions at hand should be asked for a future, hypothetical super-intelligence and the above characterizations lack imagination.

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#129
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Singularitarianism [1] is a very real phenomenon, if a bit niche. I have seen some people online put genuine faith in AGI existing soon and solving essentially everything that is wrong on Earth and in their lives. I don't think this is harmful because it may be "idolatry", but rather because, like real religion, it is often a substitute for actually improving one's situation or fighting for a better world. The idea o…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God-Building

That's interesting, thanks for sharing. Believing an ideology is scientifc or natural and that its principles are discovered rather than invented" is a very dangerous thing indeed. So-called scientific socialism* is an obvious example of that. You can see some of this kind of thinking on the opposite side as well, with people claiming that humans are naturally greedy and selfish to justify objectivism or free market absolutism.

Re: Antiqua et Nova: Note on the relationship between AI and human intelligence

#130
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> search of meaning or fulfillment---longings that can only be truly satisfied in communion with God This always annoyed me about religion. Such a lazy cop out no answer to such important question.

And, there are many ancient philosophies and practices that help people resolve this without god or religion We don’t need god to find meaning or fulfillment And we definitely don’t need other people pretending to be the one true channel through which to connect with God either

If you thought it a conincidence that they didn't grow very big, you would be mistaken. Your conception of the Loving Metaphor of God might be flawed, in perpetuity, if you stay too prideful or cowardly to let go of your dogmatic conceptions.
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